The Destroyer Gets a Bum Rap

In my work with Narrative Intelligence, whenever I work with the Archetypes from the PMAI (Pearson Marr Archetype Indicator) , one archetype consistently gets the lowest score: The Destroyer. Often symbolized by death and destruction, the Destroyer’s story is the narrative of closure, termination, letting go, plowing under, clearing our lives, hearts and minds for new growth and creativity. The Destroyer is not about the new buds of spring and the hopes that accompanies them -but instead it’s about the endings that must come first. While it is easy to see why death and destruction are so often associated with this archetype, the Destroyer’s story is actually very helpful – if not essential – in so many ways. Cutting the cord, cleaning things out, bringing bad or hurtful relationships to an end-these are all roles that the Destroyer archetype plays in the story we are living and the story we are leading.